I was asked by a reader of one of my recent posts, what I regarded as the ideal preparation to become a manager of health services? The question was posed by a medical student about to graduate as a doctor and it set me thinking what is the best preparation for entering the field of health management? Given my background and experience I will focus primarily on a management career in the public health service. So here are my thoughts … I do not think that management of health services is the province of medical practitioners alone although for many years it was the case as evidenced by those who…
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Gift of the Givers and a Vaccine Task Force … lessons to be learnt
Recently it was reported that Gift of the Givers, a charitable organisation, has been distributing food to hospitals in the Eastern Cape. This was reportedly due to the provincial health department being unable to ensure adequate food supplies to patients due to what was termed a “budget shortfall”. If even partially true it is an iniquitous situation for State hospitals to find themselves and begs the question, why has it come to this? I have written on many occasions that we should expect greater accountability from those responsible for the management of health departments in this country. This is not the first time the unacceptable conditions in Eastern cape Hospitals…
